Amid the Falling Snow
by QueenOfSmut
Summary: Elsa is alone; her powers isolate her from everyone she knows... everyone she loves. The Snow Queen's fate, however, is yet to be decided... But will Jack Frost be able to prove to her that she isn't as alone as she believes?
1. Prologue

Frost glazed the windows to a room high in a king's palace. Swirls and intricate patterns laced the glass, and someone – hair like snow itself – sat on the windowsill, staring at a world they – for all they thought – would never come to know. It was cold, but they didn't feel it. It was snowing, but they didn't care. It was lonely, and a small hand pressed itself to the pane in hope.

There wasn't anything to be said, nor was there anything to do, spare play with snowflakes as they kissed at their skin. Power over something as cold and lonesome as snow and ice… it was, undoubtedly, a terrible curse. No warm embraces from a sister, and no kisses goodnight from parents…

Jack Frost watched his princess with a sorrowful expression, legs dangling from the windowsill, staring in at her as she sat alone in her room. Elsa's coronation would be soon; and no longer would she be alone. The princess he'd stayed by since the start would be queen, and no longer would he be able to stay to watch over her.

She'd never believed in him; never had they spoken, and never had they touched. Every now and then, Jack would delude himself into thinking she was looking at him, but she was simply looking out of the window, onto the kingdom she would soon own. It hurt for her not to see him. More so that she always seemed so lonely, so isolated and in dire need of a friend she could be with without fearing harming them. Jack Frost could be all that to her, and more, should she have believed in him for only a second, but never…

He still hoped, though.

What else could he do but that? If he stopped, he felt as though his heart would shatter, shards of his icy heart would lodge in him, causing constant pain as he looked on at the beautiful young woman. He couldn't stop believing, or else he wouldn't know how to go on.

Jack had long since fallen hopelessly in love with Princess Elsa. He'd watched over her; a guardian angel to the girl since a young age. Never had he heard such a beautiful voice, and not once had he seen someone wield such power over the same elements as he. It would have been foolish of him to let her leave his sight, and so he stayed; nothing more than a ghost of her power to Elsa and her parents, but he remained in the background, helping her and protecting her. He provided beauty whenever possible. Jack had discovered when she was but a baby that Elsa was immune to the icy temperatures he held power over, and so he could create beauty in his own way for her.

Frost in gorgeous patterns, snow in pretty shapes, and the wind would carry swirls and curls of snowdrift, all to entertain her. As she had grown older, the fixation on that which she once deemed perfection became a curse to her. She no longer wanted her power. She no longer wanted to see the snow or the frost. She no longer wanted Jack's powers… but still he remained by her side. He followed her with blind faith. It was all he could do; she couldn't control her gift, and so he helped her control it for her.

Icy blue eyes licked over the room within the palace; she was growing tired. Another day had passed without any significant event, and now he was perched outside her window, in the same place he sat every night, a relentless guardian. Tomorrow would be her coronation, and she would be Queen. And Jack would watch as she revealed her beauty to the world with pride and joy in his heart, glad that she would finally be in the company of others, and she would be _happy_...


	2. Chapter 1

Coronation day.

This was, undoubtedly, the day that Elsa had dreaded for as long as she could recall. She was completely alone; her parents had both perished years ago, and without them there – especially her father – the frightened princess wasn't sure she'd be able to keep her curse under wraps and in control. Of course, it was only going to be for a few hours, and in that she found some slight consolation: after those hours were up, she would be able to return to her solitude and peace. Elsa would be able to stop seeing people and risking their lives for the sake of what amounted to nothing more than appearances. The woman held her hands to her chest, as though trying to hold her heart in its place, and looked out of the window. It wouldn't be long now.

Ships were docking and people were bustling around the market stalls in the city like worker bees. Everything was so hectic. However Elsa thought she might be able to handle being out there in the big wide world slipped from her at that moment, and fear took over. She could feel a chill sinking into the air around her, and her breath rose in white wisps of mist. Ice started to bleed across the ground under her in thick curls, turning the floors to a glistening blue-white.

"Control yourself…" She hissed to herself in irritation and fear. "Control yourself… Nothing's going to go wrong… Gloves stay on and don't touch anyone. Control. You've got this under control, Elsa."

What seemed like hours passed. There was nothing to do but wait; she'd dressed herself, rather than allowing the servants to do it for her, and so smoothed down her dress, sat on the edge of her bed, and waited. Without waiting all too long, the princess was almost certain she'd hear a knock at the door, followed by a meek request for her to join them for the coronation ceremony. In the mean-time, she simply sat there, staring at herself in the mirror, and trying not to let the curse of her powers show in any way, shape or form.

Outside, the sound of Anna singing and running and shouting in delight filled the corridors, and the elder sister knew that it wasn't fair on the girl to have been locked away like some prisoner in a tower for all of these years. But what else was she to do? It wasn't as though she had control over this curse of hers, with the icy tendrils reaching out and grasping at all they could, be that hot or cold. Sometimes she wondered whether she should let Anna go; perhaps even banish her from the castle, in hopes of giving her sister some brighter future away from the castle walls and out of Elsa's deathly grasp.

She shook her head.

Of course she wouldn't. She couldn't. As much as the princess loved her younger sibling, the temptation to cast her out and offer a wider world to was something she would never act upon. Whether out of greed to keep the girl close by or out of some desire to keep her safe and within reach should any ill come of her, Elsa didn't know. She barely cared, either. All that mattered was that with the pair of them together, the kingdom would be ruled justly and with two young women at the helm. Sometimes, it was tempting to offer the crown in its entirety to the younger, however rationality always triumphed and it was realised that there was no way that Anna could possibly rule Arendelle – at least, not while she was so young, inexperienced, and ultimately foolhardy.

No, Elsa would do this right by the will of her parents, who both knew that one day, the snowy-locked little girl would grow up to rule with an icy hand over the kingdom… but it didn't stop the tears rolling down her cheeks. How she missed her papa, and how she longed for her mother. They were watching over her elsewhere now, she knew that, but it didn't make the pain and empty sense of loss within her any less painful. Not only that, but she'd cast out her sister – the only family she had left.

What was the use?

And so she wept on the morning of her coronation; fear, worry and selfish annoyance gripping her like a hound tears at its prey. All the while, Jack Frost sat by her side, at the very foot of the bed, wishing he could reach out and comfort her in her anguish. This was the first time he'd been in her room; the servants had thrown open the curtains and windows as though it was nothing, though Jack had started to wonder whether those doors and windows to the outside world had been welded shut years previously.

"You'll be okay…" Jack said. Shock ran through him as the princess seemed to pause in her near silent weeping and look up, as though someone had spoken to her. She looked to the door, and Jack's gaze followed hers – there were noises outside of plates clattering and voices calling to one another – and the winter trickster decided at last that it was pure coincidence that she'd moved so seemingly at his words. A sigh of disappointment, and he cast his gaze to her covered hands. "I wish you could hear me… you're not alone… I promise."

Whatever he thought might have happened – some fusion of their power or for her to suddenly believe in him – didn't. He liked to think that he protected her, most of the time, but in truth, it felt more like he was suppressing the power she couldn't control. She was like a raging, wild sea, while he far more like a lake or loch. One wild and fierce and uncontrollable, and the other calm and relaxed, knowing that whatever storm there might be would eventually blow over. She was so much younger than him, and like Elsa thought of Anna, the princess had more to learn than she felt she could handle.

Anything else he might have been pondering was cut short as there was a knock at the door, and a meek voice which called out. "Milady? You've been asked for downstairs. I'm here t'escort you, milady."

"I'll be right out." Elsa replied through drying her eyes and forcing a smile into her bedroom mirror.

It was time.


End file.
